Low-temperature properties of neutron irradiated CuGeO3 single crystals

The effect of neutron irradiation on the magnetic properties of CuGeO3 sing le crystal which shows the spin-Peierls transition below T-sp = 14 K was in vestigated by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and susceptibi lity measurements. It was found that the irradiation led to a decrease of t he spin-Peierls transition temperature and induced appreciable changes in t he EPR signal intensity, resonance linewidth, g-factor and magnetic suscept ibility of this material. These changes may be associated with a partial su ppression of both the energy gap and the dimerization within the Cu chains. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.